Weft feeler device for looms for weaving



March 21, 1939. w GLEDHlLL 2,151,199

WEFT FEELER DEVICE FOR LQOMS FOR WEAVING Filed Nov. 21, 1936 2Sheets-Sheet l ark/v1 1 v 0y Wa' v M /lm WEFT FEELER DEVICE FOR LOOMSFOR WEAVING Filed Nov. 21, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 21, 1939UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WEAVI Walter Gledhill, St. Annes, EnglandApplication November 21, 1936, Serial No. 112,130

In Great Britain November 28, 1935 3 Claims.

The invention relates to weft feeler devices for looms for weaving,adapted to bring about or initiate loom stoppage or weft replenishmenton exhaustion of weft in the running shuttle or in the event of breakageof the Weft.

The principal characteristic of a feeler device according to theinvention is the employment of two relatively-movable feeler membersacting upon the weft mass from diametrically opposite points. As thediameter of the Weft mass decreases the distance between the weftengaging surfaces of the respective feeler members is gradually lessenedon successive feeling operations until finally, when a determined stateof weft exhaustion is reached, the nearness of approach of the engagingsurfaces is arranged to cause closing of an electric circuit, or theactuation of mechanical means, operative to effect or initiate stoppageof the loom or weft replenishment. If the device is arranged to operateelectrically, the usual weft fork may be adapted, by its failure to bemoved owing to weft breakage to co-operate with the means whereby thefeeler members operate, so that the loom will be stopped or the weftreplenished in the event either of weft breakage or of weft exhaustion.

The accompanying drawings illustrate some practical ways in which theinvention can be embodied.

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate, in different positions, an embodimentoperating electrically and including connections to the weftfork;

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate another embodiment in which one feeler memberis mounted on the breast beam instead of both being carried on the layas in Figs. 1 and 2.;

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate an arrangement in which the embodiment shown inFigs. 3 and 4 may be arranged to work mechanically instead ofelectrically;

Figs. '7, 8 and 9 illustrate a third arrangement in which the feelermembers are both carried on the lay and are mounted pivotally on-an axisdisposed above the shuttle;

Figs. 10 and 11 are details relative to the arrangement shown at Figs.7, 8 and 9 and are referred to later.

I will first describe the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Beneaththe lay a there are pivoted two feeler members I), 0, arrangedscissorfashion. The upper ends of the said members carry weft engagingparts or surfaces 1), c, and the arrangement is such that as the lowerends or legs of the members are moved towards one another theweft-engaging-parts b and 0' will enter respectively through holes inthe front and back walls of the shuttle A and will contact with the weftmass B. The legs of the feeler members are pulled together by a springd, which thus functions to carry the weft-engaging parts 5 towards theweft mass. To open out the legs of the feeler members and thus towithdraw the weft-engaging parts clear of the shuttle, there is provideda movable member e carried by a rod 6', which is connected to a lever fpivoted at f and acted upon by a cam y from a driven shaft 9 which maybe the bottom shaft of the loom. Thus, the feeler members may be heldapart during the time the lay is at back centre and the shuttle isentering or leaving the box, and be permitted to close, so that the weftengaging parts enter the shuttle, during the appropriate part of, say,every other beat-up movement of the lay when a shuttle is present in thebox.

In order to prevent operation of the feeler mechanism if the shuttlefails to enter the box on a detecting pick, the rear feeler member 0 isformed with a notch 0 and on the back of the lay there is pivoted acatch h which unless restrained from so doing is adapted to drop intothe said notch and prevent the inward movement of the member 0. When,however, a shuttle enters the box the consequent pushing out of theshuttle binder i is adapted to engage and move pivot-ally the catch h toa position clear of the member a, as shown in the drawings.

Connections 7', 9', lead from the feeler members b, 0 through a batteryto means operative to effect or initiate loom stoppage or weftreplenishment. The member b carries an adjustable abutment c which, onexhaustion of the weft supply to a determined extent is brought, by theclose approach towards one another of the weft engaging parts of thefeeler members, into contact with the member 0. The electric 40 circuitis then closed and loom stoppage or weft replenishment effected orinitiated.

In order to enable the loom to be stopped or the weft replenished if theweft should break before the supply is exhausted, the tail of the 45usual weft fork is is provided with a contact lc which is adapted toengage, normally, a contact k connected by a lead with a contact 70 onthe lever 1. Another lead 70 connects the fork holder 70 with a fixedcontact 70 A lead k 50 connects the feeler member b with the lead 70 anda lead k connects the feeler member b with the lead k If, as the laycomes forward on a detecting beat, that is to say when a shuttle ispresent in It will be obvious that in the weft fork .ar-

rangement just described, the current from "the lead 70 will, unless thepart in which the weft fork is pivoted is insulated, make the forkalive. This can easily be avoided by arranging for the contact k to becarried by an insulating block and to bridge directly the leads k and k.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the rear feeler member 0 isin the form of a Y-shaped part pivoted beneath the lay at c and having adepending projection c disposed between springs c and c mounted on theloom frame so that at a determined point in the forward movement of thelay the stirrup will be rocked to carry the weft engaging part 0 intocontact with the weft mass in the shuttle. The front leg c" of themember 0 extends upwardly on the front side of the shuttle box and acontact piece 0 carried by its extremity is adapted, each time the laycomes forward, to be projected frontwardly a distance determined by thediameter of the weft mass on the bobbin. The contact piece 0 isconnected by a lead 0 to one end of an electric circuit including loomstopping or V weft replenishing means. Mounted on the breast beam m is asuitably insulated spindle or rod m extending rearwardlyandfrontwardlyand normally projected rearwardly by a spring m This rod mconstitutes, in this instance, the front feeler member and it isconnected by a lead 171. with the other end of the circuit including thecontact 0 and the loom stopping or weft replenishing means. The rearextremity of the rod m is adapted to be engaged by the weftmass as thelay comes forward on a detecting pick, that is to say when a shuttle ispresent in the box. The rod is thus pushed frontwardly a distancedetermined by the diameter of the weft mass.

Mounted on a threaded part of the rod m so as tobe adjustable axiallyalong the said rod, is a collar or abutment m the normal rearwardposition of which is suitably determined according to the diameter ofthe bobbin.

When a full bobbin is present in the shuttle, the rear feeler member 0cannot enter far and the contact 0 consequently does not move very farfrontwardly. The front feeler member m is, on

the other hand pushed frontwardly the maximum distance as the lay comesforward, so that the adjustable abutment m is kept frontwardly clear orout of the reach of the contact 0 As weaving proceeds, and the diameterof the yarn mass on the bobbin decreases, the gap between the abutment mand contact 0 on a beat-up gradually lessens until, finally, when thedetermined condition of weft exhaustion is reached, the two contactmembers come into engagement and complete the electric circuit.

As the lay goes back after each beat-up, the stirrup c is rocked by itssprings to carry the weftengaging part 0' clear of the shuttle. In orderto avoid possibility .of an accident, that is to say in the event ofaspring failing and leaving the weft engaging part c projecting into'theshuttle when the latter is to be picked out of the box, the leg orprojection 0 may be furnished with a roller to co-operate with a fixedcam surface as the lay tremity of the part c mayhave a notch 0 adaptedto be engaged by a lever member n mounted pivotally on the back of thebox, said lever being allowed to remain in the path of the part 0 whenno shuttle is present, but being rocked by entry of a shuttle into thebox, and thus moved clear of the part c to permit the feeler to operate.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I show one form of means by which a feeler arrangementon the lines of. Figs.

3 and 4 may operate mechanically instead of electrically. In thisinstance the front leg 0' of the feeler member 0 has its extremityfashioned asa fiat plate 0 to co-operate witha catch 0' on the end of afinger 0 carried by a vertical rod 0 pivoted to the front feeler rod mand having its depending end located between springs o and 0 So long asan' ample supply of weft is present, the catch 0' remains resting uponthe plate 0 at each feeler operation. When the weft supply becomesexhausted, the catch rides off the plate, as shown in Fig. 6, and thesprings acting on the rod 0 function to rock the finger o and thus, bysuitable connections, to initiate loom stoppage or weft replenishment.

In Figs. 7 to 11 I have'illustrated a construc-' tional embodiment ofthe invention in which the actuation of the feeler members is controlledby the movement of a rising and falling shuttle box.

At one end of the loom I provide a vertically movable shuttle box phaving at least two cells or compartments p and p Whena shuttle, theweft condition in which it 'is desired to ascertain, arrives in theupper box 1) it is raised above the level of the race way into aposition in which its weft mass can be acted upon by feeler members,this act of raising of the shuttle being operative to bring the feelermembers'into play. If a sufficient supply of weft is present, thelower.- ing of the shuttle back to the level of the raceway to bring itinto action again leaves the stop or weft change mechanism unaffected,but if weft exhaustion has been detected, the lowering of the shuttle tobring it intoaction again is instru mental in effecting or initiatingloom stoppage or weft replenishment.

Two feeler members 1' and s are suspended pivotally, caliper fashion,from a bracket a on the loom lay. The lower ends of the member 1 and scarry weft-engaging parts 1'' and 8" adapted, 1 when they are permittedto approach one another under the action of a spring t joining themembers r and s, to contact with the weft mass in a shuttle in the uppercell p when the shuttle box is in raised position, as shown inFig. 8.

, The inner faces of the feeler members are provided'with inclined facesr and s with which there is adapted to co-operate an opening member inthe form of a plate p carried by a rodp extending up from the top of theshuttle box p,

the endsp and p of the underside of such plate being, as shown,chamfered off or made angular. As the shuttle box rises to carry theupper cell clear of'the raceway, the plate p moves up clear of theco-operating faces r and s on thefeeler' members and permits thesaidmembers to be drawn together by the spring t to'cause the weft engagingparts r and s to be brought into contact with the weft mass. As the boxlowers, the plate p is moved down between the feeler members and opensthem out as shown in Fig. '7 to carry the weft-engaging parts clear ofthe shuttle.

Pivoted to the rear feeler member s is one end of a frontwardlyextending arm 8 carrying a pin or roller s which is adapted toco-operate with a shoulder n? on the front side of the front feelermember 1". So long as the feeler members are not permitted to closesufliciently together, due to pressure of an ample supply of weft, thearm .9 is held up, as in Fig. 7 but when, on the box rising and carryinga shuttle up into feeling position, the feeler members can closetogether sufiiciently, due to weft exhaustion, the arm is permitted tofall, as shown in Fig. 3.

The front end of the arm has connected to it a depending rod s the lowerend of which has a projecting portion 8 see Fig. 9 which is a front viewof part of the embodiment now being described, to co-operate with thehorizontal arm s of an angle lever so mounted on the lay that itshorizontal arm can swing in a horizontal plane and the lever itself beswung in a vertical plane. This is effected by passing the vertical arms of the lever through an opening in a block s which is pivotal about apin 8 on the lay.

The vertical arm of the lever, when the latter is swung about the pin sis arranged to move into the path of a bunter, indicated at 8 associatedwith the stop or weft change mechanism of the loom.

Extending frontwardly from the shuttle box is a projection 22 having arecess 12' in its under- 7 side, into which the horizontal arm of theangle lever can be caused to move, as the lay comes forward, by theabutment against said arm of a spring w on the breast beam. Alsoprojecting forwardly from the shuttle box is a cam member 3/ adapted,when the horizontal arm 8 has been placed into the recess 22 and the boxis lowered, to engage the said arm and in so doing first swing the anglelever about its pivot s to cause the vertical arm s to move into thepath of the bunter s and then to swing the horizontal arm in ahorizontal plane to restore it to normal position.

The arrangement is such that when the box has been raised to carry ashuttle into feeling position and as sufficient supply of weft ispresent, the projection on the depending rod is left in: the path of thehorizontal arm s so that as the lay comes forward the arm cannot beswung horizontally and the spring w on the breast beam yields.

If, however, the feeler members have detected weft exhaustion, theprojection on the depending rod is lowered clear of the path of thehorizontal arm with the result that as the lay next comes forward thespring on the breast beam acts to swing the lever horizontally so thatthe arm 3 becomes engaged in the recess 22' of the member v. The leverremains in this position until the box lowers to bring the detectedshuttle into action again. When this occurs, the cam member y engagesthe horizontal lever arm and swings the lever about its pivot s to placethe vertical arm s" into the path of the bunter s and then swings thearm 5 horizontally so that it is moved back to its normal position infront of the projection on the depending rod. A spring 2 acts to swingthe lever 8 s", in a vertical plane back to normal position.

The point r of the shoulder 1 on the front side of the front feelermember 1' is suitably chamfered off as shown so that as the feelermembers are opened out, after the arm s has dropped consequent upondetection of weft exhaustion, the arm will be automatically raised backto normal position.

The arrangement just described is particularly useful for a weft-mixingloom using three shuttles with two shuttle box cells at each end of theloom, each shuttle in determined order being picked into the upper cell10 at the detecting end of the loom and then being idle for a timeduring which time it is in the raised position shown in Fig. 8, in whichthe feeler members can operate, whilst the return of the detectedshuttle to operative position opposite the raceway effects or initiatesloom stoppage or weft replenishment.

Where more than three shuttles are used for weft-mixing purposes, orwhere a pattern is being woven, each shuttle in turn will be broughtinto the detecting cell p of the shuttle box and raised into a positionto be acted upon by the feeler members.

In order to prevent feeler operation if the shuttle box is raised withno shuttle in the upper cell, I may arrange for the shuttle binder forthe upper cell to act upon a pivoted lever or equivalent part adapted,when a shuttle is present, to be clear of the path of a projection orpart on the feeler member 1' and thus permit such member to swinginwardly but when no shuttle is present to obstruct the inward movementof such member.

For an overpick loom the arrangement shown in Figs. '7 to 11 willrequire to be reversed, that is to say the feeler member will require tobe pivoted beneath the shuttle box, and the detecting cell will be thelower instead of the upper one, the shuttle to be detected being pickedinto the lower cell and the box then lowered to carry the shuttle downbelow the level of the raceway and into the field of operation of thefeeler members.

It will be understood that, if in any case it should prove desirable, Imay provide two feeler mechanisms one working from above and the otherfrom below the shuttle box.

Whilst I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings and describedherein, several alternative ways in which my invention can bepractically and usefully embodied I wish it clearly to be understoodthat these several embodiments are only given by way of example, andthat they are capable of modification or substitution within the scopeof the invention, the essential feature of which is the employment oftwo relatively-movable feeler members adapted to act upon the weft meansfrom diametrically opposite points and functioning, when permitted toapproach suificiently closely on a feeding operation to effect orinitiate loom stoppage or weft replenishment.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a loom, a rising and falling shuttle box having at least two cellsone of which is a detecting cell, means to cause a shuttle to enter saiddetecting cell, means to move the shuttle box vertically to carry thedetecting cell out of alignment with the raceway of the loom, twopivotally-mounted feeler members having portions arranged to engage theweft mass on the bobbin in the shuttle simultaneously fromdiametricallyopposite pointsrwhen the shuttle box is moved to carry thedetecting cell out of alignment with the raceway, means tending to movethe feeler members towards one another, and means whereby the feelermembers are held apart when the detecting cell is opposite the racewayand permitted to approach one another when the detecting cell is movedout of alignment with the raceway.

2. In a loom having a lay and a shuttle box, a weft feeler mechanismcomprising a pair of feeler members mounted on the lay and havingportions arranged to engage the weft on a shuttle bobbin when in the boxsimultaneously from diametrically opposite points when the box is indetecting position, means tending constantly to move the feeler memberstowards one another, and means contacting the feeler members in a mannerto spread them apart when the shuttle box is in non-detecting position.

3; A weft feeler' mechanism for looms, comprising a pair of pivotallyconnected feeler'members having portions arranged to act simultaneouslyon a bobbin weft from diametrically opposite points, means forsimultaneously moving said members toward and away from one another, anelectrical detector circuit, and contacts on other portions of saidmembers engageable on close approach together of the members whereby toclose said circuit.

WALTER GLEDHILL.

